


Forced Encounters

by FruHallbera



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Blow Jobs, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Armitage Hux, Kylux Big Bang 2019, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 16:23:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20603753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FruHallbera/pseuds/FruHallbera
Summary: When Ren's mission goes horribly wrong he loses his Force powers. At the same time Hux has his awakening, much to his chagrin. Now they are faced with the horror of having to work together to help each other.Written for the Kylux Reverse Bang 2019. Art and the original prompt by Melkorstars.





	Forced Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt for this fic and the awesome art is by the incredibly talented Melkorstars, who you can find on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Melkorstars).
> 
> While you are there, come say hi ht[to me too](https://twitter.com/FHallbera)!

Hux squinted in the bright light. The nagging headache he had been nursing all morning sent a new wave of nausea through him and he closed his eyes and gripped his fork tightly. He swallowed tightly and looked glumly down on his tray. Rations, even those reserved for the higher ranks, hardly ever inspired true appetite but today the meal seemed unusually uninviting. Hux moved the food around the plate, trying to summon the willpower to eat it. The headache would go away if he did; he was certain that it was in part brought on by low blood sugar.

His datapad chimed in the pocket of his greatcoat. For a moment he considered leaving it be, he was on his break after all but with a resigned sigh drew it out. He was expecting a mission status report from Ren who had been sent away by his Master. He had taken some of Hux’s best troopers and equipment with him. Without bothering to consult Hux about it, of course.

Hux scrolled through the report and cursed under his breath. It was a shoddily done short missive, stating only that something has gone terribly wrong, Ren was possibly severely wounded and in need of medical attention, some of the most expensive pieces of equipment had been lost and that the mission was aborted and the shuttle was en route to the Finalizer. Hux skimmed back to the request of alerting the medbay to prepare for Ren’s treatment. The sudden shot of ice-cold worry flooding his veins took him by surprise. He had thought he had his obviously one-sided minor infatuation well under control. Hux rubbed his face and put his datapad on the table, screen down. Yet another mess he was expected to sort out without ever hearing a simple thank you.

_I’d fuck that sweet piece of ass_

Hux’s head whipped round so fast his vision blurred. He was really losing his touch if any one of his subordinates thought for a second that what went on in the trooper barracks would be acceptable in the officer’s mess. Especially when Hux himself was present. He eyeballed the officers around him but could not discern who had lost control of their mouth. Lips pressed into a tight line he turned back to his lunch. The lights seemed even brighter and the voices louder, each clink of cutlery against a plate a jarring screech in his ears.

_Damn had I known Brendol’s bastard was here I’d have taken my break elsewhere_

“WHAT!” Hux slammed his fists on the table, shot up and glared at the surprised and slightly panicked faces around him. “Who said that? Who dares to speak to me in such a manner?”

His roar echoed in the absolute silence which followed his outburst. Everyone in the room him exchanged awkward glances. After a moment Captain Opan drew closer to speak quietly into his ear. “Sir, are you all right?”

“What are you talking about? I’m fine.”

“Sir –”

“Enough, Opan! I will not stand here and listen to slander,” Hux hissed form between gritted teeth.

The Captain’s eyes went wide and against all protocol he put his hand on Hux’s forearm. “Sir, if I may – no-one was speaking. May I suggest you rest for a while, sir? I can take over for the rest of your shift.”

Hux drew himself to his full height to loom over his wayward Captain. “Tritt Opan, take your hand off of me immediately or I will see you spaced.” Hux put his hands on Opan’s chest to push him away, and something gave in him, snapped loose with a bang loud enough to leave his ears ringing and vision whitening out. He shoved Opan away and screamed in pain and confusion, screamed until his lungs ached and throat burned because there was a fire burning in his core, blossoming up and out, and in its wake an inky wave of darkness, sucking out all light and sound and even the very oxygen from the air. Hux fell on his knees, collapsing in on himself like a red giant before exploding into a supernova.

He gasped for breath, chest hurting, wiped the tears from his eyes with a shaking hand and pulled himself up. The mess hall was completely destroyed. Nothing stood still, even the large pieces of furniture which had been bolted to the floor were now a mangled mess along the walls. The officers were either strewn around like ragdolls or staring at him, horrified, behind whatever shelter they had managed to dive behind. Opan – _alive, he’s alive, unconscious but living_, Hux knew with absolute certainty – lay crumpled under an upturned table.

He turned around slowly, blinking at the pure demolition, ears ringing. Something tickled his upper lip and he was mildly surprised to realize his nose was bleeding. His brain felt like it was floating in syrup. His throat was parched, he had double vision and the headache was back with a vengeance. An assassination attempt, although he couldn’t understand how he had survived it when he clearly was standing right where the device had detonated. His instincts kicked in and after the first few stumbling steps, he felt confident enough to scramble out of the mess hall and hurry to the relative safety of his own quarters to recuperate.

His knees nearly buckled in the turbolift when a wave of nausea washed over him. He managed to keep his guts where they belonged and leaned against the wall, wishing he could turn off the lights. It happened again only a few steps from his door and he barely had time to let himself in and run to the fresher before his stomach emptied itself. Afterwards he washed his face and looked into the mirror. A sickly-looking figure glared back at him, too pale and skinny and sweaty to be of any use to anybody. Hux wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered. There was something profoundly wrong with him and it was not just the backlash from the explosion. His ears were still ringing but he could hear a faint susurration of voices at the edges of his consciousness. He added the auditory hallucinations to his growing list of symptoms and tried to think of a diagnosis. None of the poisons he was familiar with matched, even when the after-effects of the blast were counted in. There was nothing else he could do. He’d have to make it to the medbay.

He barely made it there. Every footstep jolted through his spine to his brain and he had to stand still every now and then to stop the world from spinning. The turbolift at the end of the corridor felt like a lifeline and Hux commandeered it all to himself. Apparently, his face was horrible enough a sight to send people running when he snarled _“get out of my way”_ to them.

He stumbled through the medbay doors just as Ren was brought in. Hux paused, suddenly confused, then his legs seemed to take a life of their own and carried him behind the stretcher to the private room reserved for the higher ranks. A nurse tried to usher him out but stepped quickly aside and actually held the door for him when he snapped an order to let him in. He hovered in the background as Ren was stripped and his wounds – minor, thankfully – were cleaned and bandaged.

“Sir?” This time it was one of the doctors. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Hm?”

“Sir, if I may, you do not look like yourself. Would you like me to check you over? Lord Ren is stable and should wake up shortly. If you’d like to step this way?” Hux followed her to an examination room, stripped to his underwear and explained about his symptoms.

There was nothing wrong with him, other than his perpetual need to rest and eat more. Nothing. Hux’s first thought was that the doctor was a part of the plan to have him killed, but for some inexplicable reason he knew he could trust her, that she was genuinely worried for his health and loyal to the Order and to him. He frowned. He had never trusted anyone other than himself and saw no reason to start now.

He hopped down from the bed and reached for his clothes. Several small items jumped from the shelves and shattered on the floor. The doctor jumped, too, alarmed that they might be under attack. The ship continued its steady journey and no klaxons began blaring. Even Hux’s datapad remained silent. He glared at it for a while, then huffed and redressed.

Instead of the bridge he intended to head he once again found himself on Ren’s bedside. It was an unnerving experience, looking at the still and quiet man when he usually was in constant movement, radiating an unnamed threat and commanding the space around him. Hux had rarely seen him without his mask on and in those occasions his face was usually reflecting a strong emotion. Rage, most often, or dogged determination. And once, in an event buried well away in Hux’s mind, sorrow.

Ren looked younger than his years now, dark hair fanned on the white linens and his expression relaxed in sleep. He had been dressed in a pale blue hospital gown and Hux considered idly if he should commission black ones for the High Command, if this soft colour would somehow undermine their authority.

He really should be going to the bridge. Every second spent away from his post would only help those plotting against him. He shouldn’t give them any time to try and renew their attempt at his life. He should go. Instead he leaned over Ren’s cot, took his glove off and carefully ran his fingers through Ren’s hair. Ren twitched in his sleep and Hux stepped back quickly, pulling his hand away as if it had been burned.

“I don’t believe we pay you to laze about when there’s work to be done.” Hux poked the sleeping Knight with his finger. “I wish you’d wake up.”

Ren’s eyes flew open and he scrambled up, flailing in panic. His eyes were unfocused and his movements oddly uncoordinated he fell from the bed and it took him three attempts to find his legs and stand up, leaning heavily on the bedframe. Seeing him like this was oddly upsetting. Despite his infamous rages Ren was usually in control of himself and the situation. Ren took a few wobbly steps towards Hux, without apparently seeing him, then his knees buckled, and he started to fall forwards. Hux rushed to his aid, although how he thought he could stop a man of Ren’s size and weight from falling he had no idea. His hands landed on Ren’s shoulders, and –

_There are 19 000 officers and 55 000 enlisted personnel aboard the Finalizer, give or take, and thousands of stormtroopers. All of them living and breathing and thinking and eating and fucking and caught in petty disputes and creating ripples and eddies in the very fabric of the universe and this is just the ship, there are planets nearby, distance losing its relevance, and all of this life and death and love and hate are now surging in Hux and through him, ripping him apart and putting him back together and in the middle of it all, like a black hole, the void which is Ren, and –_

Ren’s hands were on his throat, he was being pushed back and now there was no trace of confusion in Ren’s eyes. “What have you done?”

Hux clawed at Ren’s hands, desperate to draw breath. Ren had him backed against a wall and was looming over him, his fingers tightening around his neck and a murderous gleam shining in his eyes.

“Tell me! What have you done!”

Hux could only shake his head. His vision was already dimming when something in him rose to resist the impending death and pushed back. Ren was sent flying to the opposite wall, his feet not touching the floor. Now it was him who was pawing his throat and kicking against the invisible power holding him in place. Hux drew in wheezing breaths, one hand propped against his knee and the other outstretched, pointing at Ren.

“Hux!” Ren’s voice was a strangled hiss. “Hux, let me go. Let me go now!”

Hux blinked at him in confusion. To the best of his knowledge he was not doing anything. He looked at his outstretched hand and lowered it slowly. Ren slumped on the floor, breathing heavily and clutching his side where a wound had reopened. His hair was glued to his face in sweat-dampened strands and he looked up at Hux with an expression of such fury Hux took an involuntary step back.

Ren’s face crumpled and raised his hands to his temples whimpering. The blood on his fingers smeared on his face, giving him a look of a primal and wild untamed beast. He rocked back and forth fingers fisted in his hair. “Give it back,” he wailed. “Hux, please, give it back to me. I can’t take this anymore. It hurts too much.”

“Give what back? Ren, I don’t understand –“ At that moment his datapad chimed with the special sound he’d set up for the Supreme Leader’s office. He fished the device out of his pocket and grimaced. “Leader Snoke wants to see both of us. Now.”

There was no reaction from Ren. Hux stepped closer, cautiously, and crouched down. “Ren, we have to go. Do you need help dressing up?” He made an aborted gesture at the Knight. Ren scooted away from him, hiding behind his hands and growling.

“All right. Up with you.” To Hux’s surprise Ren got up, although he refused to make eye contact. His movements were still uncharacteristically clumsy. Hux found his clothes in a small cupboard by the bed and considered the task ahead. He laid the trousers and the tunic on the bed and took a moment to gather up his courage. He took a determined step towards the swaying Knight and reached for the cord tying the gown at Ren’s waist. Stars appeared in his vision and his ears were filled with the sound of his heartbeat, except it couldn’t be his heart, the noise was far too great as it felt like it boomed throughout the entire ship. Hux shouted in surprise and drew his hand away, almost falling on his backside in his hurry to get away from Ren. To his surprise Ren chased after him, whining desperately and holding out his hands. He fell on his knees when he reached Hux and wrapped his arms around the startled General. Hux shouted again as the strange sensations returned. He pounded Ren’s shoulders with his fists to let him go but the Knight only hugged him tighter.

“Ren!” The noise grew until suddenly it stopped, receding to a quiet hum in the background, almost mingling with the sound of the ship’s engines. Ren buried his face in Hux’s belly, holding on to him like a drowning man to a raft. “Ren. I need an explanation. What is going on?”

“I cannot say.” Ren’s voice was muffled by Hux’s jacket. “I- I lost it. I don’t know how or why but I got cut off the Force. Now you have it and I need it back.”

“Have what back – Ren, I swear if you don’t start making sense –“

“You have the Force, General. And when I touch you I have it too.”

“Stop spouting nonsense. Get dressed, Leader Snoke is expecting us.”

Ren shuddered and used Hux as a support to get on his feet. He didn’t let go of Hux when he staggered to his clothes and even attempted to change with one hand always on Hux.

“This won’t work,” Hux grumbled. “You need to let go of me.”

“No.” Hux knew that tone. There was nothing that could be done when that particular tone of sullen doggedness creeped in Ren’s voice.

“Fine. I’ll help you.” He laid his hand gingerly on Ren’s shoulder, jolting slightly at the sudden sensation of pain and terror and emptiness radiating off the Knight. He snatched his hand away but this time the horrible noise and pressure in his head returned. The noise he let out was most certainly undignified. Some instinct had him slapping his hand on Ren’s bare shoulder and squeeze tight. Ren grunted and braced against the nightstand. He shook his head, blinking heavily and heaving in a deep breath. Hux’s senses returned to a semblancy of normal.

“Keep your hand on me. I can control it, but you need to keep touching me.”

Hux’s first thought was to argue but he thought better of it and dug his fingers in the wide shoulder. Ren managed to get himself as presentable as circumstances allowed and Hux ushered him from the medbay towards the turbolift and the holochamber, keeping his hand on the small of Ren’s back. At the turbolift door Ren’s knees buckled. Hux managed to wrap his arm around his waist before he collapsed and manhandled him into the lift. Ren leaned against the wall, pale and sweating with obvious pain. He reached out blindly until he found Hux’s hand, tugged their gloves off and laced his fingers with Hux’s. The effect was immediate. Ren straightened up and Hux felt how he calmed down, focusing on the present.

It was when they stepped out of the lift and Ren refused to let Hux’s hand go things became slightly awkward. Hux tried to yank his hand from Ren’s grip but he might just as well be trying to separate it from his own wrist. “Let go,” he hissed at Ren.

“Tell them to look away,” Ren said.

“What? Don’t you think that’ll only make them pay even more attention to us?”

Ren growled. “Just tell them to look away and they will.”

Hux rolled his eyes but when the next trooper patrol rounded the corner, he barked the order and halted when the troopers stopped, turned smartly and faced the wall. “Wha- Ren. What did you –“

“Not me, Hux.”

Ren tugged at his hand to get him moving again. Hux glared at the backs of the trooper’s helmets as he walked past them. It was like wading through treacle or heavy fog.

“That’s because you’re controlling them. Come on.” Ren picked up speed, forcing Hux to take a couple of jogging steps to keep up.

The holochamber was thankfully just at the end of the corridor. They entered, hand in hand, and Ren pulled Hux down to his knees when the image of the Supreme Leader flickered in view.

“Master,” he breathed in time with Hux’s “Supreme Leader.”

Snoke regarded them both for a long time in silence, long enough for Hux to grow paranoid and slightly panicky. He leaned forward on his throne, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “Interesting,” he muttered to himself. Then, louder: “My apprentice, what have you to say about this development?”

“Master, my mission – I found the temple, and the artefact, just as you had foreseen. I cannot tell what happened. I attempted to remove the artefact and – I woke up at the medbay.”

“Do you have it?”

“No, Master.”

Snoke scoffed in anger. “I see you have failed your mission in more ways than one. General! I sensed your awakening. Have you been keeping secrets from me?”

Snoke’s presence had never felt so overpowering and suffocating. He sliced through all of Hux’s poorly constructed defenses, invading the deepest crevices of his mind. Hux clawed at his temples but the very moment he broke contact with Ren the assault became tenfold. He screamed in agony, vision blurring and his consciousness slipping away as he was laid bare before the Supreme Leader. Just before he’d have blacked out Snoke withdrew.

“Fascinating.” Snoke pointed a long finger at Hux. “You, my dear General, seem to have come to your powers. How extensive they are remains to be seen.” He turned to look at Ren who had begun trembling. “On the other hand, you, my apprentice, seem to have lost yours. Permanently or not, only time will tell. I have new tasks for you. General, your training begins immediately. I know you to be a fast learner. Do not let me down. Kylo, you are to teach the General. As soon as he has reached a sufficient level of control you are to return to the temple and collect what you left behind.”

“Master, how can I train Hux without the Force? Please, you have to help me.” Hux had never considered Ren as his peer, let alone a friend but seeing him so helpless, seeing him begging felt wrong on a fundamental level.

“You will teach the General, and you will return to the temple. You may find your lost powers there.”

“What if I don’t? Master?”

Snoke was quiet for a long time before his image began to fade as he spoke his final words. “Well, then, the way I see it I still have an apprentice.”

Hux’s head whipped up at the words. He cast a sidelong look at Ren but had to look away when he saw tears brimming in his eyes and his lips pursing to keep any sounds from escaping. He got to his hands and knees, gingerly, and gently rocked himself to standing position. His knees felt like jelly and his head was swimming. He took a few wobbly steps to see if he could and once more held out his hand to Ren. The Knight looked up, fury replacing the despair and hauled himself to his feet without Hux’s help. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the holochamber, leaving Hux standing there with his hand still stupidly outstretched.  
  
***  
  
Hux held the datapad in his hands, brows furrowing as he stared at the nonsense that was the damage report from the officer’s mess. He brought up the other report, the one that had arrived heavily encrypted and listed the words and actions of the usual suspects plotting to do away with him. It made just as little sense as the analysis of the detonation, as he expected it would. He had launched the investigation, nonetheless. If there was anything he and Ren agreed on, it was the desire to keep what had happened a secret. He rubbed his forehead and suppressed a grimace.

_ \- Lieutenant Mitaka is worried, his General is obviously still shaken, and something is going on. Chief petty officer Unamo is seemingly caught up in her work but – and Hux tries to look away, really does – her mind is filled with long legs and platinum blonde hair, and an unfamiliar taste of something tangy-sweet. Captain Peavey is a gray-green blob of resentment and bile, fearing Hux will invent a way to tie the explosion to him and regretful that the saboteurs did not manage to kill the uppity bastard –_

Hux turned abruptly, colliding sharply with the immovable bulk of Kylo Ren standing right behind him. “Stop fighting it, Hux,” he barked out, one hand rising to grasp his wrist.

“I’m not fighting anything,” Hux mumbled, trying to discern whether or not his nose had broken. “I want this to end as much as you do.”

Kylo snorted. “It’s time for your next lesson. Come with me.” All of the bridge crew’s different, swirling emotions condensed into a single point of focus when Ren placed his hand on the small of Hux’s back and began to usher him down the catwalk and towards the door. Hux gritted his teeth. Unacceptable, he thought. Unbearable. Yet he submitted to the touch, unwilling to accidentally cause a scene and reveal his predicament to all and sundry.

After the horrible meeting with Snoke Hux had tried to take his place on the bridge but the pain of the Supreme Leader’s rummage in his mind coupled with the relentless onslaught of the entire universe pouring in on Hux had him beating a hasty retreat to his quarters. He had found Ren all but slumped against his door, ashen-faced and pounding his fist against the access panel. Of course, Hux realized. He did not have the Force anymore. Hux had let him in, more to keep rumors from spreading than out of any form of pity. Ren had clung to him like a mynock to a power cable, leeching off Hux’s connection to the Force and ignoring all of his attempts at breaking free. To his shame Hux hadn’t put up a proper fight. Ren’s training and control meant that the overwhelming assault on Hux’s senses eased and he would have been able to breathe properly hadn’t he been suffocated by an enormous brute.

When Ren had shown no signs of leaving for his own quarters for the night Hux had resigned himself for an uncomfortable night by his desk and a few hour’s rest on his sofa. Once again, he had been left with no choice, Ren not leaving him be until he had reluctantly climbed into bed with him, not expecting to get one wink of sleep. Ren had caged him with an arm and a leg thrown over him and fallen instantly asleep. The last thing Hux remembered before his alarm jolted him violently from deep slumber was lining up a string of curses to fling at Ren. The day must have been more exhausting than usual.

After the night’s sleep Ren had recuperated enough to begin his “lessons” with Hux. What he did was hold Hux’s head in a vise-like grip, press their foreheads together and use Hux as a conduit to his lost powers.

“Ren.” Hux had struggled against the fingers undoubtedly leaving marks on his skin. “Ren. _Ren!_”

“What?”

“What the hell are you doing?”

Ren had drawn back enough to level an incredulous look at Hux. “I am cut off from the Force,” he’d explained in his talking-to-the-hard-of-thinking voice. “I am going to find a way to fix it. And right now, you are the means of accessing what I need.”

“You’re welcome to take back what yours. I didn’t ask for this.”

“Take back – Hux, do you have any idea what you are talking about?”

“Aren’t I in possession of your powers?”

Kylo had thrown his hand up in mock despair. “For someone quite smart you can be truly stupid. No, General, you do not have my powers because I have not lost anything. Whatever it is that’s blocking me from the Force isn’t without cracks. I can sense the Force in you, and I believe I can even wield it through you, to some extent at least. I will gain my powers back, one way or another.”

Hux had considered this, chewing idly the inside of his cheek. The thought of Ren wielding anything through him was not a comforting one. “But if I understand this correctly, our, um, incidents happened at about the same time, give or take. I may not know the intricacies of your religion, but I’ve observed you long enough to know that it must mean something.”

“Your religion now, too, General. But you are correct. I do not believe in coincidences. Whatever happened to me triggered your awakening and if I find out what it was, I can remove this – this _curse_.”

“Curse.”

And that was that. Hux’s life was turned upside down in a space of a one standard cycle and he could do nothing about it. Ren followed him everywhere (there had been an embarrassing, heated conversation about the use of a fresher within the first three hours) and while Hux had managed to ban touching in public Ren’s overly large hands were on him the moment they were in private.

Yes, Hux had fantasized about this, and no, this was not what he had imagined in the privacy of his own bedroom.

Furthermore, Ren’s idea of lessons was useless. So far Hux had not learned anything at all, and his frustration was about to boil over. He knocked things over with a random gesture of his hand, sometimes his orders caused the glassy-eyed recipient to repeat them back to him and stumble away woodenly, and there was nothing he could do to block off the continued nagging of other people’s thoughts at the edges of his mind. It was maddening. Snoke had given Ren an order to train Hux, but he did not want to remind Ren of it. Snoke’s other words kept echoing in his mind. Hux didn’t know the details of the arrangement between Snoke and his apprentice, but he surmised it went deeper than mere teacher-pupil relationship.  
Even without his newfound abilities he could have pinpointed the exact moment something fundamental had changed in Ren. Hux had no doubt Snoke had meant his threat of replacing Ren with Hux as an added motivation to complete his mission but he had made a grave mistake in his choice of words. There was something brittle in Ren now, frozen solid and frantic, a storm gathering momentum to sweep everything from its path. It was so potent that every time Hux sensed it he had to lean against something solid and take a moment to get his breathing and his cock under control.

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Ren pushed him inside his own office and gestured towards the floor. “Sit.”

Hux wanted to argue but settled with letting his distaste show clearly on his face as he folded himself onto the hard durasteel. Ren sat down opposite him, long legs crossed and already reaching out to yank Hux closer to press their foreheads together.

“Are you just going to rummage around in my brain again or are you actually going to teach me something useful?”

“What?”

“You heard me. Thus far your so-called lessons have been absolutely pointless.”

Ren snorted in anger, grabbed a fistful of Hux’s hair and forced his head forwards. “I don’t give a flying fuck about your opinions, General. You can teach yourself for all I care. I have more important things to do than to pander to your little whims.”

Hux made a split-second decision, surprised Ren by pushing forward and clamping his teeth on the skin of Ren’s neck. He bit down as hard as he could. Ren screamed, incensed, and pulled loose a good amount of Hux’s hair as he tried to separate the furious General from his throat. Hux nearly gagged when something in him broke loose with a sickening jolt, and then it was him flooding Ren’s mind, burrowing deeper, all the barriers crumbling away. Ren went limp and fell backwards, pulling Hux with him, his consciousness dimming and Hux had no idea how to separate himself from the pull to the darkness.

They came to almost simultaneously. Hux was laying on top of Ren, face still buried in the crook of his neck and the taste of blood on his tongue. Every slight movement made his head spin, so he remained still, swallowing hard against the rising nausea. Ren seemed no better – no, Ren felt no better, his churning stomach made Hux’s guts twist in sympathy.

“Fuck, Hux, you just had to do that, hadn’t you?”

“Do what?”

“You _bonded_ us, you prick. You should have let me deal with this.”

Hux rose to his elbows slowly, squinting down at Ren. “I did nothing of the sort!”

Ren sighed and put both of his hands on Hux’s temples. “No? Look again. Even someone as thick you should be able to feel it.”

Hux huffed but closed his eyes, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. There was the warm, solid bulk of Ren underneath him, the steady hum of the ship’s engines and life support systems and – oh. Oh. Fuck.  
Ren’s presence filled a corner of Hux’s mind, slotted there like a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and he himself occupied a similar slot in Ren’s mind. He could almost see the tendrils of Force between them, tying them together. He gaped at the Knight, then slapped his chest. “Tell me how to undo it.”

Ren’s laughter turned into wheezing coughs and he ran his hands over his eyes. “That’s the thing, Hux. You can’t undo it. You could try killing me but that’d more than likely end you too. You shouldn’t have done it in the first place.”

“There must be a way!”

“There really isn’t. Look for yourself if you don’t believe me.”

Ren was telling the truth. Hux cursed and sat up, straddling Ren’s hips. He would have stood up, but his head kept swimming. “Well maybe if you had for once in your life followed your orders and actually taught me something useful this could have been avoided,” he groused, leaning against the Knight’s chest. Ren’s annoyance flared brightly in the Force. Hux grinned, feeling almost feral, when he managed to grab Ren’s wrists and pin them to the ground before he could topple Hux off of him. Ren growled and bucked his hips upwards, causing Hux to lose his balance and fall forwards, yelping in surprise. It was nothing compared to the utter shock of Ren surging up and mashing their mouths together. He used the diversion to his advantage and in less than a heartbeat Hux felt his lungs emptying when his back hit the floor and Ren was crushing him with his full weight on top of him. Ren was latched on the side of his neck in the next second and no amount of thrashing from Hux’s part would budge him before he had avenged the angry bruise Hux had left on his skin.

The unfortunate side-effect was that Hux was now completely and achingly hard. There was no way of hiding the fact from Ren, not only because he was sitting right on top of Hux’s erection but also because Hux knew his arousal had lit up the link between them. Ren bared his teeth, in grin or in a growl, Hux couldn’t tell, but when he shifted his weight Hux felt something hot and heavy pressing against him.

“Feel it,” Ren whispered. “Here’s your lesson. We are now bonded for life, better learn to live with it.”

“I am feeling it,” Hux said, canting his hips upwards for more friction. “Can’t really miss that.”

“No, not like that. Like this.” Ren covered Hux’s eyes with one enormous hand and held him still with his weight. His retort was cut short by the sudden influx of emotion and thoughts that were not his. Ren was furious and aroused and scared, his mind in horrific turmoil and underneath that something like a sheet of thick ice, blocking his access any further.

“Is that it? The thing keeping you from the Force?”

“You can see it?” Ren’s grip of him loosened and he drew back. “Of course you can. Yes, that’s it. And no, I can’t break it.”

“Want me to try?”

Ren considered the offer, releasing Hux’s eyes and putting his hands on his thighs. “No,” he said eventually. “At least not until we know the extent of your powers and you’ve learned to control yourself. You might damage me irreparably.”

“Hmph.” Hux bristled slightly at the thought of anyone suspecting him not being in control but had to admit Ren was right at this instance. “Fine. Our best option is to return to the origin of your predicament, then.”

“Our?”

The amusement in Ren’s voice made Hux scowl. “Well. You yourself said we’re stuck with each other for better or for worse, and I most certainly am not prepared to spend my days holding your hand whenever you feel the need to use the Force.”

“About that – I may not need to, now.” Ren pointed at Hux’s desk chair and delved into the connecting link between him and Hux. The chair rose an inch or two into air and wobbled a bit before touching down again. “Yes!” Ren’s relief was palpable, and the joyful smile on his face made Hux’s breath hitch. “That’ll do, for now. I need to learn your limits but that’ll do.”

Ren looked down at him, the smile still lighting up his face. Hux’s erection which had wilted under the enormity of Ren’s wild emotions returned to its full glory and a quick glimpse between Ren’s legs confirmed he was not suffering alone from this condition. He decided to gamble and slid his hands up Ren’s knees to cover his hands still resting on top of his thighs. Ren’s warring emotions shifted and withdrew, giving way to his growing arousal. Hux was struck with the realization that Ren had wanted him all along, that they had been foolishly interpreting everything between them as hate and rivalry and there was something else in that thought, something enormous and life changing hovering at the edge of Hux’s mind but moving away every time he tried to focus on it.

Ren bent down, moved to lie flush on Hux, capturing his mouth into another kiss and all lingering distractions vanished from Hux’s mind. This time they went about it slowly, savouring the sparks the contact sent along their bond. Hux nipped at Ren’s bottom lip and encouraged by the feedback he felt licked into his mouth.

Ren rolled his hips at a lazy pace, grunting in appreciation when Hux wrapped his legs around him. The kissing grew quickly more frantic and the rutting more urgent. Hux linked his ankles to gain more purchase, as mind blowing as it was to finally be under Ren and be allowed to touch him the friction was just not enough. He made a pitiful whine when Ren broke the kiss.

“All right, all right, you needy thing.”

“Am not – “ Ren shut him up by pulling his bottom lip with his teeth before hoisting himself up on his hands and knees and scooting backwards. He palmed Hux’s cock through his jodhpurs and squeezed. He chuckled at Hux’s involuntary gasp and jerk, then unzipped Hux’s trousers and pulled them down along with his underpants. He took a moment to regard Hux’s length, tilting his head to the side and running a finger along the shaft. “Quite nice,” he observed, wrapping the rest of his and around the base and giving it a light tug. “I should like to ride this one day.”

Hux rose to his elbows. “Nice? I’ll have you know- ahh!” The rest was lost to the double sensation of sinking into Ren’s mouth and tasting his own cock on his tongue. “Stop- stop that! What are you doing? Continue!”

Ren rolled his eyes at him but got on with it. He licked a wide strip along the underside of Hux’s cock and mouthed at the head, rolling his tongue around it and after what felt like an eternity dipped his head down and swallowed Hux almost down to the root. He remained still for a while breathing loudly through his nose, then hollowed his cheeks and sucked hard, pulling himself off with an audible pop. Hux’s instinct told him to close his eyes and enjoy the sensations but he couldn’t look away. Ren licked his lips, cast a look at Hux through his eyelashes and grinned. “Feels good, huh? Better than before, I bet.” He bent down again, and further down, taking Hux’s balls into his mouth one at the time and playing with them gently. He nibbled his way back up again, wrapped his lips around Hux’s cock and sucked himself down.

It was incredible. Hux felt Ren both outside and inside his body, giving and receiving the blowjob. Ren’s mouth was hot and warm, but he also knew how his cock filled it, how the weight of it felt against Ren’s tongue, how he tasted. His pleasure was mounting, and he knew Ren felt it too, that he knew by now all the pressure points to reduce Hux into a blubbering, flushed mess – as he would know Ren’s, in time - and he welcomed the intrusion, let Ren in completely. He was getting beyond the point of no return, his orgasm approaching fast at the steady rhythm of Ren’s bobbing head. It crashed through him before he had time to warn Ren but perhaps he already knew because he seemed completely unfazed as he swallowed the come and afterwards licked Hux clean.

Hux slumped down onto the floor, spreading his arms out and catching his breath. Ren’s desire ebbed and flowed around him, still unfulfilled but the Knight seemed patient enough to let Hux recover his strength for a moment. Ren lay down next to him, hooking an arm and a leg around him and pulling him close. Hux turned to face him. He slid an arm between them and cupped his straining length. “How do you want me?”

“I don’t know. Your hand maybe?”

The urge to kiss became overwhelming and Hux indulged himself. He rolled Ren on his back and indulged some more, tracing the outline of Ren’s body through the fabric of his tunic. Unwrapping and revealing Ren would be a delight, a treat he’d save for later when he’d have the time to truly appreciate the gift. For now, he settled for taking Ren’s cock out and in his hand, pausing to blink at the sheer enormity of it.

“It’s adequate,” Hux said, after a moment’s contemplation. “I should like to ride this, one day.”

Hux bit his lip. Ren had wished he’d use his hand, but the temptation was too much. He cast a sidelong eye at the Knight and gave his cock an experimental suckle. It presented a challenge he could not resist, he simply had to know how much of it he could fit in his mouth. It turned out to be the right amount to make Ren gasp and curse, tangle his fingers in Hux’s hair and hiss when Hux slid down yet another inch and swallowed. He put a calming hand on Ren’s hip when he tried to buck up, focused, and let Ren slide yet deeper into his throat.

He had usually received high praise for presenting this particular skillset and judging by the complete whiteout he sensed from Ren he surmised this was the case now, too. Ren was tipping over into his orgasm, trembling and whimpering, fingers of one hand scrambling for purchase on the floor and fist tightening to the point of pain in Hux’s hair. He came with a shout, body jerking and arching up. Hux’s own cock twitched in response as he swallowed the last drops of Ren’s come and withdrew slowly. He sat up, cross-legged, watching Ren come down from his euphoria.

“Felt good, huh?” Hux asked with a smirk, although his voice was horribly raw. Ren blinked his eyes open and made a vague gesture in his direction.

“What-? How-?”

“Never underestimate the First Order Academy upbringing. It prepared me for any occurrence I might encounter during my life.”

Ren squeezed his eyes shut and laughed weakly. “I feel like I was run over by a fathier.” He cast about until his hand came in contact with Hux and pulled him down on his chest. It was surprisingly nice to lie there, waiting for Ren’s heart to stop hammering through his ribcage and just listen him breathe. The bond between them was quiet, too, barely there but strong and vibrant. It didn’t feel as alien as Hux would have expected, had he ever felt the need to consider such matters before. He felt safe and almost content and that made alarm bells ring in his head more than the idea of being tied to a volatile giant of a man for the rest of his days.

His quiet spiral into panic was interrupted by a simultaneous chime of his commlink and a sharp tug in his mind. He gasped in surprise and rubbed his temple. “What was that?”

“That was Snoke. He wants to see us.” Ren was already pushing Hux away and getting on his feet, his face oddly expressionless. “We’d better hurry.”

Hux followed his example, straightening his crumpled uniform as best as he could. They left the office together and in silence, went to the turbolift and onwards to the holochamber without exchanging a single word or a thought. Snoke was already waiting, clearly displeased with having to wait for his apprentice and his General.

“How goes your mission, my apprentice?”

Ren fell to his knees. “Master, I believe General Hux is ready to accompany me to the temple.”

“And why should he join you? He has his own duties to perform.”

“Master –“ Ren hesitated, looking up. “I have not yet recovered my full powers. I need Hux to solve this- this issue.”

Snoke looked from Ren to Hux and back again, “I see. I see you have formed a training bond. I cannot see, however, why you would enter into this commitment without my permission, apprentice.”

The panic which rose in Hux was reflected in Ren’s eyes. “Master,” he began but was cut off.

“_SILENCE!_ I am most displeased with you, Kylo Ren. I tasked you with teaching the General with the basics, not taking him on as your own apprentice. Do you seek to take my place?”

Snoke began to invade Ren’s mind and right there and then Hux understood two things. First, Ren was going to kill Snoke, perhaps not now but the Supreme Leader had signed his own death warrant when he threatened to cast Ren aside, and second, he had no idea of the depth of the bond between Hux and Ren. Hux swallowed his fear, focused hard and cast his own presence over the doubt and treachery Ren was trying to hide in his mind. Without his powers there would have been no way for him to shield himself from Snoke’s probing, that much Hux could tell from his own experience.

Snoke withdrew and regarded the two of them with narrowed eyes. “Very well. Take the General with you if you must. But I expect none of this will disrupt any of the other operations.”

_Thank you_. The thought fluttered across Hux’s mind.

_You’re welcome_, he replied as he began to rattle off his usual report to the Supreme Leader. And then, almost as an afterthought: _He can’t her us, can he?_

Ren hid his surprise well. _I don’t think so. I don’t think he understands the true nature of our union._

_Union? I am not your husband._

_Are you not? Think about it, General._  
  
***  
  
Hux was not a romantic man. He saw no purpose in entangling himself in any sort of an affair other than to take care of his bodily needs with a suitable partner. He had never imagined himself getting married to any man or woman. And even if he had, he never would have thought his wedding night would consist of an almighty row and lying down in a darkened room all by himself, nursing a splitting headache brought on by shouting at the top of his voice for the best part of an hour.

He took his pillow and gingerly covered his face with it. His shameful, unprofessional conduct burned hot in his guts and he could only hope no one had witnessed their altercation. Unlikely, he thought, they were probably heard all across the ship and in the nearby systems. Ren was still letting out steam, destroying the contents of his own quarters. Hux winced when Ren split his knuckles open on something sharp. He had probably broken a bone, too, judging by the ghostly pain throbbing in Hux’s hand.

Things had deteriorated rapidly after leaving Snoke’s presence. Hux had laughed at the idea of them being married, Ren had taken objection to his apparent refusal to respect the Force, and the argument had escalated from there. Hux was pretty sure Ren wasn’t overly keen on being tied to Hux himself, but argued just for the sake of it, to vent his anger and frustration and fear. Hux groaned as another wound was cut into Ren’s flesh.

Hux crossed his arms over the pillow and tried to empty his mind. This – arrangement would be to his advantage if he kept his focus and didn’t allow himself to be distracted. He could probably learn to wield the Force all by himself but that carried a risk of exposing his true nature before he was ready. Ren was the natural choice for his teacher, especially if that came with the other benefits. Ren’s nascent resentment of Snoke should be carefully cultivated. He would eventually rise against his old Master and the pressure waves and ricochets that shift in power created would require careful handling. This was his path to power, even if it meant he would have to share the full command of the Order with Ren.

But, as it had already become apparent, Ren wanted him as he desired Ren. Keep a level head and his goal in mind and the continued co-commandship could be quite a bearable concept after all. Maybe, with proper manoeuvring, the balance of power could be tilted in Hux’s favor.

Right now, however, all his grand plans seemed just as distant as the Core from the Outer Rim. A new wave of uninvited rage rose and fell in his mind as Ren showed no signs of calming down.

He should probably go and see if he could stop the Knight from killing himself.

He would, just as soon as his brain stopped hurting.

Ren quietened down after one final surge of emotion through their bond and Hux moaned with relief. He let his hands fall from the pillow still covering his face and revelled in the silence. He must have nodded off for a moment because he was jolted awake by someone demanding entry to his quarters by alternately buzzing and trying to kick the door down. Hux’s headache returned with full force. He scrambled from the bed to let the frantic Knight in. Ren looked almost feverish with red blotches on his pale, sweaty skin and tangled hair. He was bleeding from several cuts, superficial, Hux noted with some amount of relief. He’d have hated to start another argument by trying to get Ren to the medbay.

“We have to go. We have to go now.” Ren pushed past Hux and paced around his living room like a caged animal. He had undressed to his leggings and undershirt. In other circumstances Hux would have found the display of broad chest and shoulders very appealing.

“Go where? You don’t need to go anywhere but your bed.”

“To Iatis! To the temple! Pack your bag, we’re leaving now.” Ren was visibly trembling. He clenched and unclenched his fists, staring at nothing and swaying on his feet.

“You are in no condition to travel, Ren,” Hux said. He turned to walk into his fresher, collected his medkit and returned to the living room. He pointed at his sofa. “Sit.”

“No. We have to – “

_“Sit.”_ That tone of voice was reserved for dressing down an entire unit of stormtroopers or a recalcitrant Admiral and it absolutely did the trick now. Ren sat heavily in the middle of the sofa and Hux decided to ignore the muttered fuck you Ren shot at him. He sat down next to him and without a word took Ren’s hand in his and began to examine the damage. It really was all superficial, even the fracture Hux had feared turned out to be just a nasty bruise. He opened the medkit and took out disinfectant, bacta gel and bandages. He cleaned and dressed the cuts meticulously, released the arm and held out for Ren’s other hand. Ren hesitated but turned slightly and submitted the limb for inspection.

Hux turned his hand over to check for any cuts to the skin, suddenly wanting to spread his hand over Ren’s palm to compare the difference in size. His fingers seemed thin and soft compared to Ren’s calloused and thick digits, an office worker’s hand next to that of a warrior. He swallowed and tamped down his urge to take one of Ren’s fingers into his mouth and suck it. Instead he tugged a disinfectant wipe from the container and slowly cleaned the blood off the juncture of Ren’s thumb. Ren kept completely still and quiet as Hux turned his hand once more to take care of the bruised and bloodied knuckles.

“There,” Hux said as he finished with his ministrations. “That wasn’t so difficult, was it? Now return to your quarters, go to sleep and we’ll discuss the mission tomorrow.”

Ren said nothing. He kept his gaze dropped to his hands resting in his lap, idly toying with the edge of a bandage.

“Ren?” Hux prompted.

“I don’t –“ Ren fell quiet again, curling in on himself, shoulders slumped and face hidden behind his hair. Hux waited patiently for the words to find their way out. “I don’t want to be alone.” It was barely a whisper, more intention than an actual sentence. Hux stood up, patted Ren’s shoulder and helped him up. He ushered Ren to the fresher, took his datapad and sent for an extra pillow and a blanket, to be delivered by a droid with no motivation to ask unnecessary questions.

Ren emerged from the fresher looking a bit more like himself but refusing to look at Hux. He stalked to the bedroom, sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots and climbed between the sheets, wrapping the blanket tightly around him and turning his back to the room.

It took the droid a little more than half an hour to arrive with the requested items. Hux finished the message he was writing, tossed the blanket and the pillow onto the bed and lay down gingerly.

“Move over,” he muttered, poking Ren between his shoulder blades. Ren grumbled but scooted towards the wall, giving Hux just enough room to lie on his back. After a while Hux turned on his side, touched Ren’s arm carefully and when no objections arose, wrapped himself around him, sighing into his hair.  
  
***  
  
Hux cursed, slapped his neck where a small insect had mistaken him for its lunch and for the thousandth time regretted each and every one of his life’s decisions that had led him to this moment. He hated the small, useless planet they were on, he hated how the not-quite-right gravity of it made him stumble, he hated the heat and the humidity which made his skin blotchy pink and the pomade run from his hair and fall in sticky rivulets down his collar. The jungle they were trekking through was full of noises and smells and life, the chaos of it assaulting Hux from every direction. He had thought sensing the Finalizer’s full contingent of soldiers bad, but this horrible disorganized unending cycle of life and decay was eating him alive.

He leaned against a tree and took a moment to hate every living being in his vicinity in turn.  
But most of all he hated Ren. The Knight had returned to his manic state soon after waking up and demanded an immediate departure to go find his lost powers. Hux had tried to explain that he could not just walk away without any forewarning, but Ren had looked ready to start destroying Hux’s quarters at any second so Hux had relented. He had delegated what he could, given a few dozen orders and reluctantly left the Finalizer in the untrustworthy hands of Captain Peavey as Opan had still not been released for active duty.

Ren had disappeared in the thick forest. He had been hiking along all morning seemingly unaffected by the horrid conditions which had reduced Hux into a panting, sweaty mess within fifteen minutes from arrival. He had left his greatcoat and uniform in the shuttle, grateful for having had the foresight of packing his mostly unused field kit with him. Ren had given him a curious once-over when he had emerged in his field greens instead of the usual black and Hux had detected the curiosity tilting towards arousal when he had breezed past Ren and down the shuttle’s ramp.

Hux cursed again. He had run out of Basic swearwords some time ago and was already two thirds through his vocabulary of Arkanisian obscenities. He peeled himself from the tree and pinched his eyes closed. Ren was some distance away but with little concentration Hux could tell which direction he had gone to. He killed another insect and set off after him.

It felt like forever to finally catch up with Ren. There were moments when the forest felt like closing in and Hux could barely keep the panic at bay. He focused on Ren’s presence and kept going, one hand on blaster and the other ready to flick out his blade strapped to his forearm at the first sign of danger. He had another blaster holstered to his thigh, a vibroblade knife on his belt and one hidden in his boot, and his old faithful knuckle duster in his pocket. He thought about his weapons and felt better.

Finally the forest cleared away to reveal a vine-covered stepped stone pyramid, worn and chipped by age and elements. It must have been obsidian black and polished at one time but now it stood dark grey and dirty green where vines and moss had taken over. Ren stood at the edge of the clearing. The bastard wasn’t even out of breath which made Hux want to hit him with something.

“Can you feel it?” Ren did not turn to look at Hux nor did he acknowledge his arrival in any other way. Hux opened his mouth to retort but closed it with an audible snap. There was something strange in the very air, like a low sound thrumming just below the hearing range, felt more than heard.

Hux swallowed, ran his hand through his hair and grimaced in disgust at the mixture of sweat and pomade covering his fingers. He wiped it on his trousers and tried not to think about the greasy stain. “Is that the- the thing?”

“The thing?”

“You know what I mean. The mysterious object of deep significance blocking you from the Force?”

Ren turned slowly to glare at him. “It is,” he said. “And now you’re going to help me to get my powers back. Come along.” With that he started towards the temple.

“I should just turn back and leave you here,” Hux growled at Ren’s retreating back but his traitorous feet carried him forwards across the clearing and to the bottom of the pyramid. “How do we get in?”

“The top.” Ren pointed upwards. Hux followed with his gaze, squinting in the bright sunlight. There was a small structure above the top tier, half collapsed and looking strictly unsafe.

“Great. A bit of rock climbing was exactly what this expedition was lacking. Please tell me there’s a lift?”  
Ren was too preoccupied to rise to the bait. He grunted and shoved Hux onwards. They rounded a corner and Hux was not overly happy to see the narrow, steep stairs leading to the top.

“Climb,” Ren grunted and nudged Hux’s shoulder.

“What?”

“Climb.”

They were reduced to crawling up on all fours, holding on to crumbling stone and slippery vines. Ren’s anxiety grew with each step and it ended up clouding Hux’s thoughts until he almost lost his footing overcome with surplus emotion. He pressed his head against the cold stone and tried to clear his mind. Ren had made it up before him and was waiting for his impatiently. He held out his hand and hoisted Hux up onto the ledge. The view over the canopy of the forest was magnificent but Hux had precious little time to appreciate it before he was dragged forwards again.

“Clear that out,” Ren said, indicating at a pile of rubble which had been the corner of the small building.

“How do I do that? You didn’t tell me to bring any equipment. Or troopers to do the heavy lifting.”

“You don’t need any equipment, Hux. Use the Force” Ren was eyeing the heap of rocks and tiles and flexing his hands, frustrated at his inability to power through the obstacle. Hux looked at him, the rubble, and back at Ren again.

“Ren,” he said, patience thinning. “How am I supposed to know how it’s done? All you’ve taught me is how you like your cock sucked.”

For a moment it looked like Ren was ready to toss Hux over the edge, with or without his Force powers. He slumped, sighed and came to stand behind Hux, setting one large hand on his waist and grabbing Hux’s right wrist with the other. He lifted their joined hands, as if teaching Hux how to aim his blaster.

_Like this_, hummed through the bond. _You do it like this._

Hux gasped when the debris began to rise off the ground and move away from the hut. He felt the Force flowing through him, bending to his will and doing his bidding. It was power like Hux had never felt before, heady and instantly addictive, horrible and wonderful at the same time. Nothing could stand in his way now; he was all-powerful and eternal - Ren had moved away from him and he suddenly noticed he was lifting the rocks alone. His concentration broke and the rubble came crashing down, bouncing down the pyramid’s walls and into the forest below.

“I suppose that’ll have to do.” Ren sniffed. “Well work on finesse later.”

“If this wasn’t to your liking, I can lift them back up again and watch you haul them away by hand,” Hux groused. He went to the building and peered in through the revealed hole in the wall. “Whose idea was this? Who thought it’d be a good idea to make us climb all the way up just to make us go down the stairs again?”

“You need to reach to the light to truly see the dark,” Ren announced as he shoved past Hux and disappeared into the gloomy stairwell.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“What can I say.” Ren’s voice echoed from the stone walls. “The ancient sith were prone to dramatics.”

“Just the ancient sith, huh?” Hux gave the uneven stone stairs a disapproving look and put his foot gingerly on the first step. It didn’t collapse under his weight, so keeping one hand on the wall for support and the other on his blaster he followed Ren down to the darkness.

Daylight disappeared soon enough as he descended but Hux kept going, taking one careful step at the time. This was probably another test to measure the skill and devotion of the invading Force user. Hux considered this, then reached in his pocket and took out a small flashlight. He could no longer hear Ren’s footsteps and he sensed the Knight’s presence drawing closer. It took another two flights of stairs to find him pacing in a small, windowless room.

“It took you long enough,” was all the greeting Hux received when he stepped through the narrow doorway, bowing his head to avoid a collision with the doorframe. Ren must have entered sideways, there was no way his shoulders would have squeezed through otherwise.

“Well I’m here now. What do we do?”

“We need to fix that.”

That was six separate objects, floating gently above an altar-like black platform in the far end of the room. They glowed blue-green, bright enough to cast eerie shadows dancing in the corners. Hux frowned at it before realizing the pieces actually belonged together to form a solid ball of silvery-grey metal. “Did you break it or was it like that when you got here?”

“Very funny. I tried to remove it and it broke into pieces and, well, you know the rest.”

“And fixing it will solve your problem?”

Ren looked unsure. His jaw clenched and he gnawed his bottom lip, his brow furrowing in worry. “It had better,” he muttered. Hux had never seen him so vulnerable and lost. He had an inexplicable urge to take Ren’s hand. He stuffed both of his in his pants pockets and rolled on the balls of his feet.

“Well then,” he said briskly. “Let’s get to it, then.”

“Right. Right.” Ren approached the altar from one side, walked to the other and squinted at the puzzle pieces. “There must be a key to unlock this stasis.”

“What exactly did you do? Maybe you could just reverse the sequence.”

Ren paused, his hand hovering above the topmost, sharp-edged piece. “If only it was that easy. I meditated and fasted for three days, communing with the Force and the spirits still inhabiting this place. They misled me.”

“Misled you. Spirits.” Hux tried to keep the incredulity out of his voice and failed horribly.

“Yes. What can I say? The ancient sith were mostly dickheads.”

Several possible answers flashed through Hux’s mind. He resisted the temptation and joined Ren by the altar. “So how do you propose we proceed?”

Ren closed his eyes, hand still almost touching the glowing puzzle. He scoffed in frustration, throwing his hand in the air and turned to scowl at Hux. “It’s no use! You have to do it.”

“I already told you – _oof!_” Hux was cut off by Ren abruptly folding himself to sit cross-legged on the floor, yanking Hux down with him. He arranged Hux to sit in his lap despite his very vocal objection, and wrapped his arms around Hux’s waist, not letting him move an inch.

“Shut up, Hux. Close your eyes and keep quiet.”

Much to his surprise Hix did as he was told. He felt Ren taking over their bond, then requesting entry into his mind. Hux allowed him in, curious to see his plan. Ren relaxed immediately after getting more in touch with the Force and Hux observed with slight trepidation his spreading awareness. He had known that Ren was powerful, had seen him in action several times, but he hadn’t had any idea just how formidable he truly was. True, Hux hadn’t been really interested in the details of Ren’s abilities beyond what was immediately needed, and had he known – no, he still would have acted around him just the same.

Ren seemed satisfied with the state of their surroundings and focused on the broken sphere suspended in thin air. With a nudge from his mind it spun slowly around on its axis, but the pieces remained insolently apart. Ren spun it again, looking for the starting point to reassemble the artefact. He pushed at one piece. It slid from his grip and settled back in its old place. Ren tried another, and another. It was like trying to push two magnets together the wrong way around. Ren huffed in frustration and tried with more force.

_That is not working._

_I can see that!_ Ren’s petulance reverberated in Hux’s skull and the eye roll that followed was done on pure instinct.

_Then why are you continuing, then? You’re only giving me a headache._

_It’s not my fault you’re so weak._

_I AM NOT WEAK! Never call me that, Ren. Never. Or so help me I will walk away and leave you here._

_Alright, alright, no need to shout!_

_Hux?_

_Hux?_

_Fine, I apologise. I’m sorry I hit a nerve._

_Fuck you, Ren. Give me one good reason not to put my blade through your femoral artery right now._

Ren’s answer was a tug on the bond between them. Hux shuddered and made a face. He just knew Ren was grinning behind his head and pinched his thigh. _Focus!_

Ren drew in a deep breath and attacked the artefact again. No matter how he tried, the pieces would not fit together. Ren’s frustration was rapidly veering towards rage strong enough to set Hux’s blood boiling, too. He struggled in Ren’s grip, twisted until he could look him in the eye.

“Stop that. It’s not helping. Let me try.”

Ren glared at him but relented. Hux turned towards the altar and with Ren’s help spun the sphere again. He observed how the pieces moved when he tried to move them and couldn’t help his excitement in the face of a brand-new game of tactics and cunning. It was like one of the better battle simulations his team churned up, designed to teach how to anticipate and counter the opponent’s moves.

The first two pieces clicked together and stayed. Ren’s fingers dug themselves in Hux’s sides and a small sound escaped his throat. The third kept avoiding its place until Hux realized he’d have to connect the fourth and the fifth, keep them tightly in place and slide the third on between the assembled pieces. Ren didn’t even bother to conceal his sobs. The wall keeping him from the Force was already crumbling at the edges and thinning like melting ice.

_Please, Hux, please please please…_

He realized suddenly that right now he was more powerful than Ren, that he could keep the Knight separated from his powers indefinitely. He could have it all, the full command of the military and the privileges of being Snoke’s second-in-command. None of the self-important, bloated ex-Imperials would dare to oppose him, wouldn’t even think the name Brendol in his presence and those who had slighted him in the past, thinking he was weak and pathetic – well, he would be gracious enough to grant them a few moments of regretting their past decisions. His breath quickened at the promise of power beyond comprehension.

Behind him Ren’s breath hitched, and he went completely still. His focus shifted from the artefact to Hux. There was a slight tremor to his hands still pressing against Hux’s sides. He was bracing himself, frantically trying to figure out all possible outcomes. Hux could feel his panic rising, an ugly, monstrous thing, barely held at bay. It was so unfamiliar, so unlike Ren it made Hux balk.

He paused, took a deep breath to steady himself and reconsidered his options.

Denying Ren his powers would kill him. Not immediately, but Hux was certain he would not survive for long in his diminished state.

If Ren died, the balance of probability was that it would affect Hux negatively. For better or for worse they were now irreversibly bonded and whatever their fate would be, they would have to face it together. Hux leaned back absentmindedly, getting more comfortable between Ren’s thighs. A nose pressed against the side of his neck. “_Hux_,” Ren whispered to his ear and mind, swallowing hard.

If Ren didn’t die, if Hux granted Ren his powers back, if the frankly confusing and slightly alarming flurry of emotions Ren was trying to project into his mind was true –

Ren would still be more powerful than him. Ren was still tied to Snoke and that was an issue that would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later and probably far too soon for any kind of preparations to ensure a smooth transfer of power. There were so many variables and possibilities Hux reeled at the thought.

But.

_But. _

Despite it all, despite Snoke and the High Command and the enemies and allies and politics and war –  
Whatever the future had in store they would be stronger together. There was a balance in their union, their strengths complementing one another. Maybe this was as the Force willed it, as Ren was so keen to point out whenever Hux’s opinion differed from his. They would be victorious. They would –

The nose had transformed into teeth nibbling at his earlobe.

_“Hux,”_ came the whisper again.

Something tugged the corners of Hux’s lips. It took him a moment to realize it was a smile.

The final piece slotted in its place.


End file.
